Human Rights Watch: Syrian Army Used Chemical Weapons in Aleppo Operations

The Human Rights Watch organization states that the Syrian army, in late last year, launched at least eight attacks using helicopters to drop chlorine gas canisters in residential areas of Aleppo. The attacks mentioned by Human Rights Watch occurred during the final stages of the complete takeover of the city. The Syrian army and pro-government militias supporting Bashar al-Assad seized full control of Aleppo after months of intense fighting, which included aerial and ground assaults. If the use of chemical weapons in the Human Rights Watch report is confirmed, it would represent one of the most notable documented instances of such use during the Syrian civil war. The Assad government has previously denied similar accusations and has repeatedly emphasized that it would not use chemical weapons against its own citizens. Meanwhile, in the summer of 2013, at the height of a severe crisis regarding the use of chemical weapons, while the United States threatened military action to prevent it, the Assad government joined the international convention banning the use of chemical weapons. Since then, investigations into the use of these weapons in Syria have continued by international inspectors and observers. Last month, Reuters reported that international inspectors had stated for the first time that they believed Bashar al-Assad and his brother were responsible for the use of chemical weapons in the country’s conflicts. However, Human Rights Watch claims that Syrian government officials have not only ignored the findings of the United Nations but have also decided to carry out even 'more intense' chemical attacks in the military campaign in Aleppo. The Human Rights Watch report is based on interviews with rescuers and witnesses, as well as analysis of images and videos taken from the events. This non-governmental organization emphasized that ultimately proving this matter 'definitively' without sample testing is challenging. The organization concluded in its report that the purpose of the chemical attacks was either to kill those present at the attack sites or to force them to flee: 'The nature of the attacks indicates that they were planned in parallel with the campaign to seize Aleppo, rather than being carried out by a number of rogue individuals.' According to Human Rights Watch, in these 'eight attacks' between November 17 and December 13, at least nine civilians were killed and 200 were poisoned and injured, including at least four children among the dead. The Syrian government has yet to respond to this recent report. In this context, Assad's opponents are sending a '20-member delegation' to the Geneva peace talks, expressing hope from the British Defense Minister for the start of operations in Raqqa after its siege by spring, announcing the Syrian government's readiness to exchange prisoners with the rebels, and the United Nations has officially invited Syrian groups for Geneva talks.